Raiders GM: McFadden set to become free agent

Oakland Raiders running back Darren McFadden hasn’t lived up to expectations in the past two seasons, but that’s not stopping him from testing the free agent market.

Speaking to ESPN.com, Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie confirmed that McFadden intends to see what offers he can get on the open market.

“Darren’s going to be a free agent and there’s been communication with his agent,” McKenzie said. “He’s going to see what his market is. And that’s the thing, when you’re talking about the games that he’s missed, he has no idea — and when I say ‘He,’ I’m talking about his agent — he has no idea what his market value will be and I couldn’t tell you what the other 31 teams think.

“And his agent is leaning toward trying to figure out what that is. So, we’ll see.”

McFadden has not been able to stay healthy in his six-year career, in which he has missed 29 games. Last season, McFadden played in only 10 games and rushed for 379 yards and five touchdowns.

McFadden has shown he has great talent, such as his 2010 season in which he rushed for 1,157 yards. But will teams be willing to offer a competitive deal for an oft-injured running back who has played in 29 of his last 48 games, and rushed for only 1,700 yards during that span?

It’s not likely.

Perhaps a change of scenery would do McFadden good. He could be an option for a team looking to add a weapon at a reduced rate. Perhaps he could enter next season with some added motivation to prove that he can be a healthy and dependable running back.

Of course, McFadden could always entertain the possibility of a return to Oakland, though it’s a safe bet that the Raiders will also look around at other options, too.

Either way, McFadden should be realistic about what his market value will be: that of a running back who can’t stay healthy and has underwhelmed despite great physical gifts.